1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communication terminal apparatus and communication method able to be connected to a computer network such as the internet or the like.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, communication by facsimile devices is largely carried out through public subscriber telephone networks. However, the cost necessary for facsimile communication through such public subscriber telephone network increases in proportion to the distance between the communicating parties.
Recently however, the use of computer networks such as the internet or the like is becoming more widespread. If this computer network is used, communication with domestic and foreign terminals is possible while only bearing communication costs as far as the nearest contract provider (company providing contact to the computer network). As a result, the costs required for, in particular, long distance communication may be reduced by carrying out communication using the computer network.
Facsimile communication is generally carried out using circuit switching systems. In short, the transmitting side facsimile device performs transmission of image data after being connected to the receiving side facsimile device and establishing a communication line by the circuit switching systems. Accordingly, when the receiving side facsimile device receives the image data, it is able to immediately print out that received image data and the receiving side user is able to know at that time that data has been received.
In contrast with this, when electronic mail is transmitted using a computer network, in general there is no direct notification to the receiving side that electronic mail has been transmitted. In short, users of computer networks notice that there has been reception of an electronic mail only when his/her communication terminal is connected to the computer network by dialing. Accordingly, even if the transmitting side sends electronic mail to a computer network, the receiving side does not immediately know there has been transmission of electronic mail addressed to it. As a result, the user of a computer network must dial up and confirm whether or not electronic mail has been delivered at suitable times (for example, everyday, at a certain time) and that operation is troublesome. Furthermore, when the transmitting side wants to immediately inform the receiving side of the contents of the electronic mail, it is necessary to inform the receiving side of the transmission of the electronic mail by telephone or fax.
Yet further, some delays may be generated in computer networks when the electronic mailxc2x1delivered from the transmitting side to the receiving side due to the electronic mail""s passage through a number of computers, the amount of data and congestion of the lines.
Further, as the G3 and G4 facsimile communication procedures and the communication methods are different from those of computer networks, direct connection of a facsimile device with a computer network is impossible.
In order to solve the above mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to propose a communication method and communication terminal device that is able to quickly inform the receiving side that it has transmitted electronic mail to a computer network and furthermore, at the receiving side, is able to receive electronic mail from the computer network based on a signal from the transmitting side.
Accordingly, as transmission of electronic mail to a computer network is notified to the receiving side almost simultaneous with the transmission of the mail, the receiving side can quickly be aware that electronic mail has been transmitted.
Furthermore, as the transmission side sends a signal expressing a request for reception of electronic mail simultaneous with transmission of the electronic mail and the receiving side carries out retrieval of the electronic mail from the computer network after receiving the signal expressing a request for reception of the electronic mail, the quick and automatic retrieval of the electronic mail becomes possible.
It is a further object of the present invention to propose a communication terminal device that allows, even when delivery of electronic mail has been delayed, the receiving side to get the electronic mail immediately after it notices the delivery of it.
Accordingly, even if the delivery of the electronic mail in the computer network is delayed, as a suitable timing allowance between the transmission of the electronic mail by the transmitting side and the reception of the electronic mail by the receiving side can be maintained, the situation where the receiving side attempts to receive electronic mail that has not yet been delivered may be avoided.
It is a further object of the present invention to propose a communication terminal device that is able to transmit image data obtained by scanning a document, as electronic mail, and to output the image data of the received electronic mail.
Accordingly, as the document can be scanned and transmitted as electronic mail and image data can be visibly output from the received electronic mail, transmission and reception of documents by e-mails can be carried out just like facsimile communication.
Thus, even when sending a document of many pages to afar place such as abroad, as the document is sent to a computer network as electronic mail, the communication costs may be reduced. In addition, the fact of transmission of electronic mail to the receiving side may be quickly notified and the quick retrieval of the electronic mail may become possible.